"Hill Street Blues" (1981) TV series 1981-1987

Creators:

Steven Bochco
Michael Kozoll

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

15 January 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The lives and work of the staff of an inner city police precinct.

Plot Keywords:

Inner City | Police | Cult TV | Gang Warfare | Policewoman

Awards:

Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 51 wins & 95 nominations

Cast

Daniel J. Travanti	...	Capt. Frank Furillo (116 episodes, 1981-1987)
Bruce Weitz	...	Sgt. Mick Belker (116 episodes, 1981-1987)
Betty Thomas	...	Sgt. Lucy Bates / ... (116 episodes, 1981-1987)
Taurean Blacque	...	Det. Neal Washington (115 episodes, 1981-1987)
Kiel Martin	...	Officer John 'J.D.' LaRue / ... (115 episodes, 1981-1987)
Charles Haid	...	Officer Andrew Renko (115 episodes, 1981-1987)
Veronica Hamel	...	Joyce Davenport (115 episodes, 1981-1987)
Michael Warren	...	Officer Robert 'Bobby' Hill / ... (114 episodes, 1981-1987)
James Sikking	...	Lt. Howard Hunter (114 episodes, 1981-1987)
Joe Spano	...	Det. Henry Goldblume (114 episodes, 1981-1987)
René Enríquez	...	Lt. Ray Calletano (98 episodes, 1981-1985)
Barbara Bosson	...	Fay Furillo (96 episodes, 1981-1987)
Ed Marinaro	...	Officer Joe Coffey (95 episodes, 1981-1986)
Robert Hirschfeld	...	Officer Leo Schnitz / ... (86 episodes, 1981-1985)
Michael Conrad	...	Sgt. Phil Esterhaus / ... (71 episodes, 1981-1984)
Jon Cypher	...	Chief Fletcher Daniels / ... (54 episodes, 1981-1987)

Runtime:

60 min (146 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

MTM Enterprises

Trivia:

Regarded as a hallmark in American dramatic television. First dramatic series to incorporate long shots and handheld shots and continuous storylines. Nominated for 21 Emmys for its first season - a record despite having low ratings.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the opening credits when the police cars pull out of the garage, one of them has the overhead light bar on backwards. You can see that the others have the siren speakers between the lights facing front, while one as it facing to the trunk.

Quotes:

LaRue: [Internal Affairs thinks LaRue is on a porno tape] Captain, I swear, I didn't do this. This guy hired me to appear in a home security video, I shot the first scene and then saw that it was strictly a First Amendment issue and left. I didn't even get paid. Look, Captain, I swear that isn't me in the video! Look, that guy has a tattoo on his ass! I don't and I can prove it!
[drops his pants]
LaRue: See!
Washington: [Furillo leaves the room and Washington walks in] Captain spank your bottom, Babe?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-05-22)" (2008)

Best show of its time - by a long way.

In the days of E.R and NYPD Blue, it's hard to remember just how ground-breaking a show HSB was. Nothing like it had ever been seen before. The quality of the acting and writing, the documentary look and feel, the seedy broken down environment, the brutally frank situations and language (for the time), the fact that the "bad" guys got away with it as often as not, the huge ensemble cast, the long one-take scenes, the unhappy endings etc. etc.

Needless to say, the American people wanted nothing to do with such quality at first - until it won a record number of Emmys and they couldn't ignore it anymore. If nothing else, this series proved to the networks that quality can sell soap after all.

If you like your E.R. think a kind thought for Hill Street Blues - the series that made it all possible.